Lamp reflector mounting



Sept. 26, 1944.

W. H. WOODWARD LAMP REFLECTOR MOUNTING Filed March 4, 1945 w ll" lhwentor Valli-uh Pl. Woodward (Ittorne Patented Sept. 26, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE 2,358,843 Y I I LAMP REFLECTOR MOUNTING William H. Woodward, Detroit, Mich. Application March 4, 1943, Serial No. 478,040

4 Claims.

This invention relates to lamp reflector mountings and particularly to provisions for mounting lamp reflectors on bracket arms.

It is common to employ a reflector forming a partial housing for a lamp bulb and thus materially safeguarding the bulb, while confining light radiation to approximately one direction, and it is common to afiord such a reflector a swivel adjustment about the bulb axis for selective regulation of the light directive effect. I

An object of the. invention is to provide a simple means for mounting a reflector for swivel adjustment on a bracket arm carrying the lamp with which such reflecto is correlated, and to impose a readily regulable spring thrust on the reflector to assure against disturbance of its position by vibration or other relatively weak forces.

Another object is to adapt a lamp reflector to be formed of relatively light material as thin sheet metal, while equipping it with a support reinforced to afford the reflector a firm mounting on a bracket arm.

Another object is to fixedly mount a lamp and a correlated reflector on a tubular arm, 'swiveled for regulation of light concentration, and to impose a spring stress on the arm to maintain a desired swivel adjustment.

A further object is to employ the reflector as an abutment for the sprin and to afford the reflector a sliding adjustment on said tubular arm to regulate compression of the spring.

These and various other objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view in partial section of the improved mounting.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same.

In these views, the reference character I designates a tubular bracket arm supported in any desired manner (not shown). A collar 2 fixed on said arm by a set screw 3 is integrally formed with a partially circular lug 4 against which is pressed a similar lug 5 integrally formed with a collar 6. Through relative rotation of said lugs, selective angular relations may be established between the collars 2 and 6. A bolt 1 and nut 8 maintain engagement of said lugs under a pressure regulated to resist relative rotation except in response to a considerable predetermined force.

Swivelly mounted in the collar 6 is a tubular arm 9, terminally expanded as indicated at H! to engage the end of said collarfacing the collar 2 and projecting sufliciently beyond the other end of the collar 6 to provide a mounting for a lamp shown) carried in such socket. The end 10 is flaringly expanded and corresponding end of the collar 6 is similarly flared, as Fig. 1 clearly shows. Said socket is rigidly terminally carried bythe arm 9 projects along the extended axis of the arm; As illustrated, a. bushing l3 rigidly projecting from the closed end of the socket is inserted in the arm 9 and a set screw l4, terminally engaging said bushing, is threaded into a collar l5 exteriorly mounted on the arm, the latter being apertured to accommodate said set screw, The collar bears firmly against the closed end of the socket, the arrangement being such as to mount the socket very firmly on'the arm.

The reflector has an end wall I6 'apertured'to accommodate the arm vi! and welded to said wall is a tubular support I! for the reflector, forming an extension of the latter. Said end wall andsupport occupy a portion of the arm 9 extending between the collar 6 and socket l l. The support I1 is outwardly spaced from the arm 9, permitting a bushing 18 to be press-fitted in said-supe port in a surrounding relation to the arm. The

free end of said support is flanged annularlyin ward, as indicated at l9, to substantially engage the arm. A threaded bore is extended through the support I! and bushing Hi to receive a set screw 20 rigidly securing the reflector on the arm 9 in a desired spaced relation to the collar 6. Between said collar and the flange I9 is compressed a coiled spring 2| resisting rotation of the reflector, both directly and indirectly. The direct effect of such spring derives from seating of its ends respectively against the collar 6 and flange l9, and the indirect effect derives from the end thrust transmitted to the arm 9 and acting to tightly engage its expanded end ID with the collar 6. The flaring nature of said expanded end and corresponding flare ofthe collar surface engaged by such end secure a wedging efiect which materially increases friction, permitting of a lighter spring 2| than would otherwise be required.

Enumerating the more important advantages of the described construction, it is first to be noted that the restraining force exerted by the spring 21 may be readily regulated since the reflector support I! may be secured on the arm 9 at selective distances from the collar 6. This feature also adapts the construction to different sizes of reflectors, it being evident that more compression of the spring is necessary to adequately restrain a large reflector than a small one. It is desirable and usual to provide various sizes of reflectors suited to the several standard sizes of lamp bulbs.

In adapting the socket to turn with the reflector upon swivel adjustment of the latter, it is assured that the switch key of the socket will not interfere with or limit such adjustment.

In equipping lamp brackets with metal reflectors for shop use, it has heretofore been largely the practice to employ cast reflectors, thus assuring supports well fitted to bracket arms, in a manner to avoid vibration and maintain the most eflicient relation to a lamp. My improved reflector may be formed of light sheet metal, with a material reduction of cost and weight as compared to a casting, and the light tubular support I! with its reinforcing bushing i8 serves to mount such reflector as accurately and firmly on the arm 9 as could be done with a casting.

The flang [9 serves a dual purpose in afiording the free end of the support I! a seat on the arm 9' andproviding an abutment on said support for engagement by the spring.

It is most common practice to mount a shade or reflector directly on a lamp socket, but such practice is decidedly objectionable when the installation. is subjected to vibration, frequent adjustment or rough usage. Added weight of the reflector increases strains on the socket and renders any vibration more vigorous. Also such an installation affords no protection to the socket as is derived from my improved construction.

What I claim is:

1. A lamp reflector mounting comprising a tubular arm having an expandedv end, a lamp socket fixed on the other end of said arm, a collar swivelly receiving and carrying the arm and spaced. from the socket, a reflector for a lamp in said socket, said reflector having a. tubular support sleeved on the arm, means for rigidly securing said support on the arm at a selective distance from said collar, and a spring coiled on the arm and reacting between said collar and support, said expanded end being held in frictional engagement with the collar by such spring and reflector, and restrain the arm from lengthwise movement in the collar, the stress exerted by the spring being regulable by said selective positioning of said support.

2. In a lamp reflector mounting, a tubular arm,

I a lamp socket fixed on an end of said arm, a refixed on the other end of said arm, a reflector for to predeterminedly resist'swiveling of the arm a lamp disposed in said socket, means fixing said reflector on the arm independently of the socket, said means engaging the arm between the socket and expanded end of the arm, a collar swivelly mounting the arm in proximity to its expanded end. and presenting a flared end face to the expanded end, and a coiled spring compressed between the collar and said fixing means for the reflector and imposing an endwise thrust on the arm, whereby its expanded end is held frictionally engaged with the collar.

4. In a lamp reflector mounting, a tubular arm, an abutment carried upon an end of said arm, a lamp socket fixed on the other end of the arm, a reflector for a lamp disposed in said socket, a collar swivelly mounting the arm and engaged by said abutment, a spring coiled around said arm and abutting said collar and imposing an end thrust on the arm to yieldably resist rotation of the arm, a support for the reflector engaging the arm independently of the socket, said support being abutted by the spring and transmitting the spring thrust to the arm, and means for securing said support to the arm at selective distances from said collar, whereby the spring stress may be regulated,

WILLIAMI-I. WOODWARD. 

